graphics in Comedy
unravel and explore issues often too sensitive an Indian native, has been making waves
to form part of conventional discourse.
after winning a Raw Comedy competition in
New Delhi. His deadpan riffing on the ‘shy
Our government may long ago have abandoned Indian student’ elicited howls of laughter at
the last vestiges of the White Australia policy, his inaugural Melbourne Comedy Festival
but fragments of its cultural legacy remain gig.
Ronny Chieng, of Malaysian and
in the casual racism that pervades elements Chinese descent, has been kicking goals on
of our society. As Jaqueline Nelson of The the circuit since winning best newcomer at
Conversation points out, subtle forms of the Melbourne Comedy Festival. Although
racism, including exclusionary body language, Chieng incorporates cultural jokes into his
often go unnoticed by anyone but the person material, he is adamant to ‘be known as
feeling the impact of them. The insidiousness that funny comedian, rather than that funny
of this form of racism has made extraditing it Chinese comedian.’ Anthony Salame, whose
from our culture a difficult prerogative. But family hail from Lebanon, has also established
by reflecting our own casual racism back at himself on the circuit, charming audiences with
us, in a comic and non-accusatory fashion, his electric brand of no-bullshit Aussie cum
comedians can engender awareness and help Lebanese humour.
to disrupt unconsciously negative assumptions
on race. An enormous amount of the social When referring to Australia’s rich ethnic comedy
progress we’ve achieved in this country owes scene, commentators often pay homage to the
to the candour of comics like Okine, Hussain crew behind Wogs out of Work and Acropolis
and Aly.
Now. It’s well deserved. The creators of wog
humour bulldozed established media norms to
Right now, there are so many wonderful set a precedent for those that followed. There
examples of non-Anglo comedians shrewdly will always be progress to be made, but to look
chipping away at racial stereotypes. Black at the Australian comedy scene now is to see
Comedy, a revolutionary sketch show an accurate representation of who we really
written and performed entirely by Indigenous are. We’ve still got our barbies and akubras
Australians, employs absurd and often and our wide, brown land, but we’ve added
uncomfortable humour to display how black a few dolmades, some pierogi, and a healthy
identity is transformed through outside serve of san choi bao into the mix.
perceptions of race. At the same time, the
comics use the format as a means to reclaim
narratives so often co-opted by people outside
of the indigenous experience. Says writer/
performer Steven Oliver; ‘When I write, I like
to plant seeds in people’s heads to get them
thinking about these issues.’
On our stand up stages, too, young comics
from diverse backgrounds are contributing to
a vibrant scene. Newcomer Rohan Desai,